American readers might not know this, but HTC just loves the Desire brand name. It's been around since 2010, when the original launched as a slightly modified version of the Nexus One. Since then it's gone through many permutations, like the keyboard-equipped Desire Z (the G2 in the US) and got at One X-style makeover with the Desire X. The 601 brought the family up to the HTC One M7's industrial design, meaning the name has survived two of HTC's complete hardware overhauls.

The week is just getting started, but HTC is dropping new devices like it's going out of style. No, it's not that rumored One Max we've been hearing about. The company is breathing new life into the Desire brand with the mid-range Desire 601 and the entry-level Desire 300. HTC is also announcing a Bluetooth subwoofer accessory for BoomSound devices and a new "Vivid Blue" HTC One.

HTC hasn't abandoned the market for small phones, as shown by their One Mini at a (relatively) tiny 4.3 inches. But that's still on the premium side, and those who want both a small size and a small price need some love too. Enter the Desire 500, a 4.3" phone with a mixture of features from this generation of HTC hardware and the last one. It's currently slated for release in the UK sometime in August, but HTC has been mum on a price and wider release details so far.

HTC, keeping up with its recent pattern of speedy source release, has dropped official ICS kernel source code for a heaping handful of devices, perhaps most notably the One V, a member of HTC's new One line which hasn't yet debuted in many countries.

Other devices include the US variant of the Vivid and several iterations of the Sensation, with the Desire HD and myTouch 4G Slide's Gingerbread (2.3) kernel source also being dropped.

Those following HTC's efforts to liberate bootloaders everywhere have a bit more to talk about tonight, as the Taiwanese manufacturer added support for a handful of devices.

For those not in the loop, HTC pledged to enable unlocking the bootloaders of all devices released after September 2011, but is doing the community one better by extending support to older models as well. HTC allows users to unlock their bootloaders using a quick, (relatively) easy online tool.

The official Gingerbread build for the HTC Desire was released a few days ago, but it was pushed out as an RUU, not in typical OTA (over-the-air) fashion like we've all become accustomed to. I think there has been some confusion about HTC's plans for the Desire, as we've received several emails asking when an OTA may become available.

I pinged HTC on Twitter to get an answer to that question and, to put it simply, there isn't going to be one.

Ah, the moment that Desire owners have been waiting for... or is it? HTC released its official Gingerbread build for the Desire this morning, but it's not in the form of an OTA (over-the-air); instead, it's a full RUU (ROM upgrade utility). This means that not only is the installation process a bit more complex than an OTA, it will also wipe the device during the upgrade process, forcing you to start from scratch upon first boot.

Ever since the beginning of June, we've been teased by and patiently waiting for the mysterious AlphaRevX unlocker page that promised to completely unlock (S-OFF) the latest HTC Wildfire and even Incredible S, making root, custom ROMs, ClockworkMod recovery all possible.

After a period of private beta testing, the wraps have come off an hour ago, and the first public release of AlphaRevX is now available for download (see instructions below) for the following devices:

Update: In a new Facebook update, HTC explained that some apps would be cut to allow enough space for the Gingerbread update. Looks like it was all about internal storage after all, rather than RAM.

That was quick. HTC, via its UK Facebook page, has announced that Gingerbread will be coming to the Desire after all. Despite the all but scientific conclusion of HTC's engineers, after rigorous testing, that "there isn’t enough memory to ...

Update: HTC backpedaled on this issue quicker than ever before and announced plans to follow through with the Gingerbread upgrade after all.

Are you ready for some Tuesday morning bad news? If you own an HTC Desire, brace yourself -- it looks like your dreams of ever seeing Gingerbread officially hit your device have been crushed. I know it stings, but here is the official word from the HTC UK Facebook page:

Our engineering teams have been working hard for the past few months to find a way to bring Gingerbread to the HTC Desire without compromising the HTC Sense experience you’ve come to expect from our phones.